About Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity
Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity is the oldest and largest professional pharmacy fraternity in the world. Currently, there are 72 active collegiate and 52 active graduate chapters across the United States and Canada, and that number continues to grow with each passing year.
Kappa Psi was founded on May 30th, 1879 at the Russell Military Academy -- known prior as the New Haven Collegiate and Commercial Institute -- in New Haven, Connecticut. Established originally by F. Harvey Smith following a football game between the Russell Military Academy and Cheshire Military Academy, Kappa Psi eventually would emerge as a Greek Letter Society and included medical and pharmaceutical students in the one fraternity. During this era, all Greek Letter Societies were quite secretive. The football game eventually ended in a tie, being called on account of darkness. Then the "cripples" of both sides got together and formed Kappa Psi. A second chapter was later added on November 30th, 1879 at Cheshire Military Academy.
There were the only two chapters of Kappa Psi until 1894, when a third chapter was started at Hillhouse Academy in New Haven, Connecticut.
The Fraternity charted its first university-level chapter, otherwise known as a "collegiate" chapter, on November 18, 1898, when Delta Chapter was founded at University of Maryland School of Medicine. Gamma Chapter was chartered two days later on November 20, 1898 at The College of Pharmacy of the City of New York (later to become part of Columbia University in New York City on July 1,1904), marking the beginning of the presence of Kappa Psi in pharmacy schools in the United States. Kappa Psi held its first national convention -- called a Grand Council Convention -- on Saturday, March 31, 1900. The Fraternity was also incorporated in the state of Delaware on June 15, 1903, as Kappa Psi Fraternity, Incorporated (later revised to Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity, Incorporated, in 1925).
In 1924, by mutual agreement of both the medical and pharmacy brothers at the 16th Grand Council Convention, the members of Kappa Psi decided to separate the fraternity in terms of profession, due to ongoing changes in professional fraternity accrediation standards. The medical group split off and became known as Theta Kappa Psi Medical Fraternity, while the pharmaceutical portion of the Fraternity retained the name of Kappa Psi and became Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity. The effective date of the split of the two fraternities was January 15, 1925.
Today, Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity has over 70,000 members throughout the United States and Canada. In addition, Kappa Psi has retained a strong alumni support by establishing numerous graduate chapters from coast to coast. Increasing annual membership has not only made Kappa Psi the oldest pharmaceutical fraternity but also the largest.
As the first national pharmaceutical fraternity, Kappa Psi has acquired thousands of members who are actively practicing in many facets of pharmacy. Many prominent individuals in the profession pharmacy, both locally and nationally, are members of Kappa Psi. Known as an international professional fraternity, Kappa Psi strives to promote the field of pharmacy through the benefits of fraternal affiliation and innovation.
The objectives of Kappa Psi are:
(a) To conduct a professional fraternal organization for the mutual benefit of its members;
(b) To develop industry, sobriety, and fellowship;
(c) To foster high ideals, scholarship, and pharmaceutical research;
(d) To support all projects which will advance the profession of pharmacy and to actively participate in them;
(e) To inspire in its members a deep and lasting pride in their Fraternity and in the profession of pharmacy;
(f) To render such other services to its members and its profession as may seem feasible and as may be in accordance with the constitution and bylaws of the Fraternity.
For more information about Kappa Psi, please visit our Kappa Psi History page.
Wikipedia entry on Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity
Updated: 2008-12-14 09:41:54 by cburkin
